Shadow of the Lab
by masqueradewitch
Summary: Astra always kept to the shadows, but she noticed everything around her. Nobody noticed her until it's almost too late. Abuse, angst, and spoilers up to Mascara included.


A/N:Okay, this is just a little oneshot that would not leave me alone. I swear my muse has lost her marbles, she has me bouncing between four different projects. Anyway, usual disclaimers apply. I repeat, this is a oneshot. I just can't go any farther than this.

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Greg Sanders was walking down the hallway to the morgue when he heard something. He paused, listening intently. Through a door, he heard a woman's voice, gasping in pain. He pushed the door open and froze. Sitting on a bench next to an open locker was a woman, her face white with pain as she raised her arms above her head, a scrub top already on her arms. Her left side was a mass of dark, ugly bruises, and one eye was swollen shut. She managed to pull the scrub top over her head and down onto her torso, biting back a scream. Greg pushed the door open wider and moved into the locker room. The woman's face snapped to face him, her beautiful sapphire eyes as wide as they could get through the swelling. He held his hands out to his side, trying to convey that he was harmless. She moved to stand quickly, but the pain finally became too much, and her eyes rolled back into her head as her body sagged to the floor. Greg rushed forward and caught her before she hit the ground, yelling for help. Professor Langdon appeared in the door after a moment, and quickly knelt down next to the woman in Greg's arms.

"What happened?" he asked, pressing his fingers to her wrist.

"I heard a noise, and came in here to find her putting on a scrub top. Her whole left side is one big ugly bruise, and when she stood up, she just passed out." Greg explained. Langdon lifted her shirt to look at her side, the dark contusions standing out against her pale skin.

"Call an ambulance, and get Doctor Robbins." he instructed. Greg leapt up and hurried out the door to find the ME, dialing his cell as he went. Looking back down, Langdon was surprised to find a deep blue eye staring up at him.

"I'm sorry Warrick. I should have told you the truth. Wrote it all down, but didn't tell anyone. Should've told you." she murmured. Langdon realized that she wasn't really seeing him through her pain.

"My name is Dr. Langston. You're hurt pretty bad, but we called an ambulance. Can you tell me your name?" he asked, trying to check her pupils.

"Astra. Finally went too far. He kept telling me I couldn't work all those extra shifts. I didn't listen, knew I needed to give the others some slack." she answered. Just then Greg and Doc Robbins appeared in the doorway. Robbins knelt down as best he could and took the girls hand.

"Astra, who did this to you?" he whispered, his tone gentle, almost fatherly. She turned her head slightly to see him, tears sliding down her bruised cheeks.

"Should have told you the truth. My journals. They tell the truth." she whispered, before passing out again. The paramedics arrived a moment later and took over, while Greg and Langdon helped Robbins off the floor. The ME looked positively murderous.

"We're gonna find who did this Astra. I promise we are gonna take care of you." he said, just as the gurney was wheeled out. Greg moved over to her open locker and pulled a stack of notebooks out. On each cover, in neat handwriting, was a starting and ending date. Looking at the top shelf of the locker, Greg noticed a stack of dried flowers. He pulled out over two dozen indigo orchids, pressed and dried. He looked down at the journals in his hand. He opened the top one and found an entry from 2005.

_For the first time in the three years I have been working here, one of the CSI's actually noticed me. It was Warrick Brown, the handsome green eyed Vegas native. He heard me singing in the intake room. I only sing when I'm alone, well, as alone as one can get when working with the dead. He asked me what I was singing, and I just about jumped out of my shoes! Well, that made him laugh, which in turn got me laughing, and we spent the next hour just talking. Somehow, the conversation drifted to flowers, and I admitted that my favorite flowers are indigo orchids. I told him how they were my mother's favorite flower to grow, and the last ones I had ever received, all those years ago. He seemed surprised that I hadn't been given flowers since I was a kid, but I waved it off. He had to leave then, but when I went to my locker at the end of the day I found an indigo orchid waiting for me with a note that simply said 'smile'. I tucked the flower in my locker and went home. Allan was waiting for me, and when I told him I didn't want to go out, he punched me. I'm starting to run low on concealer._

_March 7- I got another orchid today. Warrick and I still talk whenever we get the chance, but I know it will never go beyond friendship, and I'm okay with that. Warrick is a great guy, and easy to talk to. I was going through the lab today and I saw Sara talking to Dr. Grissom. I cannot believe how many people in the lab don't realize how crazy in love those two are. Sometimes I think I should just lock them in a closet until they work it all out. Although I have to admit, I think Catherine suspects something. I'll see her with this knowing smirk on her face when she sees the two of them talking, so maybe they all aren't blind. Allan hit me again last night. I think he cracked a rib, and I had to wrap it for work today. He wants to move in together, but I said no. I just hope he listens._

_May 19-Nick Stokes was kidnapped from a scene tonight. The entire lab is in a panic, trying to find him. I took over as many duties as I could so the rest of the lab could focus on finding Nick. At one point in the night, I found Warrick in the intake room, just sitting on the floor. I knew he was blaming himself for what had happened. I explained how it wasn't his fault, and I said to him 'you know that Nick is gonna kick your ass when he finds out your blaming yourself right?' That made him laugh. I think that at that point everybody was loosing hope, and hope is the one thing we cannot afford to loose._

_They found him. They found him, and he is okay. I think the entire lab is breathing a sigh of relief at this point. I saw Ecklie filling out transfer papers to bring Dr. Grissom's team back together. Allan was very angry at me for not getting home on time. I told him something came up at work, and he punched me again. He still wants to move in together, but I told him no. I had to go to the hospital and get my jaw checked out. There's a hairline fracture, so I'll have to take it easy. This is getting to be too much._

"Doc, do you know Astra's boyfriend?" Greg asked. Robbins frowned, thinking.

"As far as I know, she doesn't have one. She spends as much time as she can at work." he replied. He handed the open journal to Robbins.

"She had one in '05 that beat her up. She talks about the abuse in a detached way, almost like an observer rather than the victim." he said. Robbins read the passages quickly, smiling a little.

"That definitely explains why I would see Warrick sneaking down here every month. with a flower. It must have become a ritual for them. She showed a lot of strength when he died, insisted she do the intake. When Warrick was arrested for Gedda's murder, she stayed for three days straight. She was just about to go home when I brought him in. She stayed until we caught the under Sherriff, then the next day she called in and asked for a few days off." he said. Greg went over the notebooks in his hands and flipped through them until he found the entry about Warrick's death. There were a few places where the ink was smudged with tear stains.

_He's dead. Warrick, my closet friend is dead. Just last week he and I were talking about his custody case with his ex, how he wanted to be in his son's life. I had promised to be a character witness for him, even offered to baby-sit whenever he needed it. Then right after he was cleared for Gedda's murder, he came in and caught be binding up my ribs. Allan broke three the night before Warrick was arrested, when I had thrown him out of my apartment. I had finally told him we were finished, that I wasn't going to be his punching bag anymore. Warrick wanted to know who was hurting me. I told him that it didn't matter, that Allan wasn't going to hurt me anymore. He seemed to accept this, and we made plans to see a movie later in the week. I finished my work a few hours later and was about to leave when Doc Robbins brought in a new body. I remember feeling my heart freeze at the look on his face as I asked him, 'which one?' I am certain that my heart shattered when Warrick's name passed the doctor's lips. I insisted that I do the intake. I sang the same song I had sung when we first met with tears in my eyes. I didn't leave until we caught the killer. I still can't believe it was the under Sherriff! The man always gave me the creeps, but this even took me by surprise! When I finally got home, Allan was waiting for me. He hit me over and over again, and I finally passed out. When I came to, I was in the hospital, and my room was filled with pink carnations. I detest pink carnations! Allen had told the doctor's I was beaten by a gang of thugs. I was so numb after Warrick's death that I didn't bother to correct them. I told the police I couldn't remember anything, which was a half truth. Today is Warrick's funeral. I think I will slip away to the graveside service and leave him an orchid for once. I'm sorry I lied Warrick._

"How could we miss this? She has worked here for almost seven years, and nobody seemed to notice that she was being abused?" he said, sitting down hard on the bench. Langdon had been going over several of the notebooks.

"It seems that Astra is very good at keeping a low profile. At the same time, she is extremely observant. She was aware of every little romance, personal trial, and secret habits in the lab. It isn't such a big surprise that she has a few of her own. She mentions you a few times, Greg." he said, gesturing to the notebook in his hand.

_Poor Greg! Dr. Grissom used him for a experiment and now he has a fungus on his foot! I nearly burst out laughing at the look on his face. He looks so cute! I decided to be nice, and made him some of his favorite coffee. I found his secret stash of Blue Hawaiian a while back, and I started using the same kind. I left it where he would find it still hot, and I also left a bit of my own secret stash, a piece of Godiva chocolate._

"I remember that case. I thought somebody had raided my stash, but then I had no idea who had left the chocolate." Greg said. The three men went through the journals until they found the most recent one, and Greg flipped to the last entry. Langdon took the book and read the entry aloud.

"March 7- I arrived at work today to find a vase of indigo orchids waiting for me. Instead of the usual card, there was an envelope, with a letter from Dr. Grissom. In his letter, Dr. Grissom explained that Warrick had asked him to keep an eye on me if anything ever happened to him. Warrick told Dr. Grissom about the flowers he sent me every month on the seventh, and also about the broken ribs I had been hiding while Warrick had been locked up. Apparently, Dr. Grissom was worried about failing to keep his promise to Warrick now that he was gone, so he had sent me the flowers as a reminder that even though I move through the lab like a shadow, the people here still care about what happens to me. Dr. Grissom's letter has given me the courage I need to act on my plan to finally leave Allan. I have most of my most valuable possessions at work, so it will not be difficult to get away from him. I think after my shift tomorrow I will go to Doc Robbins. He has always treated me like family, and I will put my trust in him. I will not be Allan's victim again." he read, before looking up at the other two men.

"Allan must have found out what she planned to do. That's why she was beaten so badly today. I would suggest that we go to the hospital and speak to Astra, find out the rest of the story." Robbins said, and the three left the morgue, Robbins giving David a few instructions, while Greg went to the lab to tell Catherine and the others what was going on. The entire team was in the break room.

"Astra? You mean the girl with short black curly hair and dark blue eyes? I remember her. When I was having trouble with Lindsay, Astra spent three hours talking to her. After that, things at home settled down some." Catherine said, thinking back. Greg flipped through the journals and found the entry about Lindsay.

_Catherine brought her daughter into the morgue today. She was trying to scare Lindsay into behaving I think. When Lindsay left, I called her over, and we spent three hours just talking and eating chocolates. Mostly she talked, and I listened. At her age, that's what she really needs, somebody to listen and not judge. It makes me miss my mother. I explained to Lindsay that her mother means well, she just wants Lindsay safe. Lindsay knows this, she just wants to see her grandfather. For so long, she had no idea that he existed, and now she wants him in her life. I suggested that she tell her mom this outright. I told her to keep in mind that her mom may be very smart, but all parents tend to be really dumb when it comes to their own kids. That made Lindsay laugh, and it was then that Catherine came in. I offered her a wide grin and some chocolate, then I left mother and daughter to talk while I got back to work. I hope the two of them will be able to work things out. Allan was in my apartment today. How the hell did he get in? I never gave him a key. When I asked, he slapped me and said I shouldn't ask silly questions. I'll have to change the locks tomorrow._

"I think I remember that two days later, she had a black eye. When I asked about it, she said it was no big deal, that I should see the other guy. I let it slide." Catherine said. Nick looked surprised, and Riley was thinking hard. Before they could say anything, Catherine's phone went off. She answered the call, and turned to the team.

"419 in Henderson. Riley, you and Nick take that call. Greg, I want you and Langdon to go to the hospital and talk to Astra, I'll get a car to go to her place, see if this Allan character is still there." she said. The team nodded and headed off. As they did, none of them seemed to notice Archie standing in the corner, his face pale in shock. He raced into the lab to find Wendy and Hodges. Hodges was the first one he found.

"Somebody tried to kill Astra." he blurted. Hodges blanched, and the pair split up to spread the word among the lab rats.

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Astra opened her eyes slowly, flinching at the bright lights. As her eyes adjusted, she saw she was in a hospital room, and sitting at her bedside was Greg Sanders. She blushed slightly ass she remembered that he had been the one to find her. He looked up and smiled gently.

"How are you feeling?" he whispered. She opened her mouth to speak, and her voice came out as a breathy whisper.

"Did somebody get the plate number of the semi that hit me?" she joked, grimacing as she shifted, setting her side on fire. Greg chuckled softly.

"We sent a patrol car to your apartment to see if Allan was still there, and it looks like World War III in there. You feel up to telling me what happened?" he asked. She shifted in the bed, her swollen eye closed as she looked to the wall.

"A few days ago, I got a letter from a friend of a friend. His words gave me the courage I have been lacking for a long time. I was going to tell Doc Robbins everything, how Allan hit me, how I threw him out right before Warrick was arrested, and how he put me in the hospital after Warrick died. Since then, he has forcibly kept himself in my life. It's funny, he uses me as a punching bag, and belittles me every chance he gets, but other than that he won't touch me. Thank heavens for small favors, right?" she chuckled slightly, hissing as her ribs protested.

"Easy, you've got three broken ribs, and two cracked ones. He really did a number on you." Greg said. Astra smiled wryly.

"Yeah, but this time I fought back. I gave as good as I got. I wouldn't be surprised if he turns up at an ER, claiming I went psycho on him. But I have an ace up my sleeve." she said. Just then, the door to her hospital room opened, and Archie, Hodges, Wendy, and several other lab techs appeared, carrying several vases of orchids in all different colors.

"Hey, Astra, how are you feeling?" Archie asked gently, setting his vase down. She smiled weakly at them, a trace of confusion on her face.

"I'll live. What are you all doing here?" she asked. Hodges scoffed from the end of the bed, a small bouquet of indigo flowers in his hand.

"We lab rats have memories like an elephant. We all know about all the little things you've done for us over the years, and all the things you did to help out the team. We take care of our own." he replied. Greg looked over at the cocky Hodges in surprise. The man spoke to Astra like she was a beloved little sister.

"We heard about what happened, and well, Dr. Grissom wasn't the only person Warrick asked to watch out for you." Wendy explained gently, standing at her side, opposite Greg. Tears welled up in Astra's eyes.

"I guess he was right. I'm not as much of a shadow as I thought." she breathed.

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A/N: Okay, there it is. I know it probably sucks, but I just felt like I had to post it. Probably has something to do woth my muse holding my other stories hostage. I would love some reviews.


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